


Play Pretend

by bakatenshi



Category: Free!
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-05
Updated: 2015-01-05
Packaged: 2018-03-05 12:46:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,953
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3120671
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bakatenshi/pseuds/bakatenshi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rin has a problem with a guy who won't leave him alone so he asks Haru a favor.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Play Pretend

Rin already knew that he was popular.

And frankly, it was his own fault. Since he was a child Rin has always done what ever he could to be noticed; he would fight to be the strongest, the fastest, the bravest, even the tallest in some cases. Anything to be the center of attention and first in every aspect.

So really, the fact that Rin had a little admirer wasn’t that surprising.

Though this one was pushing it too far and Rin couldn’t shake him. It wasn’t just a fan of his looks or swimming; this one was actively trying to pursue Rin despite the redhead’s best efforts to try and show his lack of interest. He felt stupid that he couldn’t outright say he just wasn’t interested, but the other male didn’t exactly ask Rin out, either. It was just a showering of gifts, a little too much touching, and blatantly obvious gestures. It was all very awkward.

So Rin might have told him he was taken in casual conversation. A little white lie, but…it was his new problem.

The guy was pushy enough to start pressing about Rin’s supposed relationship. And since the redhead wasn’t the type to do anything half-assed, he decided he should try and find someone who could play the part to help his lie become more believable. And this was the exact reason he was seated at Haruka Nanase’s house right now.

"Haru—"

”I hate asking like this, but I need a favor. It can only be you who could do it, so hear me out, okay?”

\--

A favor?

Haru had no clue what Rin may ask of him but he knew he would probably do it because he usually ended up going along if it was to help a friend, even if it was a complete pain.

"What is it?"

He asked in a rather blunt tone that made it seem as if he could careless, it was just the way he came across and if you’d only known him a short time you might think he was cold. But no, Haru was actually quite warm. He had a soft spot for this idiot too because he liked him but he planned on never ever telling him.

Haru treasured his friendship far too much for that. 

He brewed some tea earlier so he had poured two glasses and gave one to Rin before sitting and waiting to see what it was that was so important.

\--

Rin waited until Haru was seated before continuing. The conversation would be kind of embarrassing and maybe it would be easier if the dark-haired male wasn’t looking at Rin while they talked, but he also knew the favor would probably come across as surprising and Rin figured it would be better if the other male was sitting to hear it.

Not that Haru ever got too shocked or overwhelmed easily, but it was a precaution.

He took the tea and nodded to Haru in thanks, pulling the glass closer to himself but not yet taking a sip. He hesitated before continuing to talk, staring down at the hot liquid before letting out a sigh.

"Someone has a crush on me."

He realized how conceited this probably sounded now; to have made such a big deal about needing to talk to Haru and then letting that be his opener. But there was much more to the story, and Rin needed to start somewhere.

"He’s annoying and he won’t leave me alone." Rin said in an irritated tone, looking to the side as he rubbed his neck. "He won’t quit it. But he didn’t ask me out so I can’t just turn him down out of no where. It’ll be weird."

He glanced towards Haru briefly to make sure he was still listening, before continuing.

”So…I might have told him I’m seeing someone.”

\--

That first line alarmed Haru because he himself had a crush on Rin. So for a brief moment before the redhead went on, Haru wondered how the heck he had found out because he didn’t tell a soul such things. He kept it all to himself.

Once he spoke more, Haru knew he wasn’t talking about him and then felt silly for assuming as much. Haru was relieved Rin didn’t like the person frankly and was even annoyed by them.

As their eyes met for a moment, Haru wondered where this was leading. “And?” You would think by now that it would dawn on Haru where Rin was getting to with the asking of a favor and now the admission of lying to this person about seeing someone….but it just didn’t.

"So….." Haru asked in a deadpan voice which could be taken for indifference but really at the moment, he was rather clueless as to where this was all going and that was all it was. "What does this have to do with me?"

Haru wasn’t sure if he liked where this was going or not. He didn’t like the idea of Rin seeing someone at all and he felt a little sting of jealousy at that statement. He also felt like an idiot for having this inner turmoil but with the way he felt about Rin, it couldn’t be helped.

He drank at his tea as he waited for Rin to get on with it and get to the point rather than dancing slowly towards it, which was how Haru had taken it so far.

\--

Rin glared a little at Haru’s question, even though the dark-haired male couldn’t actually be blamed for asking such a thing. He said it a bit bluntly, sure, but he was in the right. “That’s what I’m gettin’ to.” He snapped back, his tone more annoyed than he meant for it to be.

Perhaps he was going into this a bit too slowly, but it couldn’t be helped. He knew well what he was about to ask, and frankly it was just embarrassing. Part of him was second-guessing the whole thing all together, but he was already this far so he knew that was impossible. Plus, it wasn’t like the redhead to truly quit on something. Embarrassing or not, he’d go through with the question.

He just didn’t know how Haru would react.

"I told you he was annoying, right?" Rin said with a sigh, looking away now and still glaring a little to fight any of his embarrassment or awkwardness that was creeping in. "He keeps asking questions. He won’t just go with it and leave me alone. I’m gonna get caught in a lie if this keeps up.”

”I thought of making someone up, but it’ll suck if I screw that up. So I think I should pick a real person. And…pretend to date them, y’know? Just when he’ll be around for a little while. So he thinks it’s real and gets lost.”

Rin was still skating around the actual question and now that he was realizing it and getting closer to actually saying it, his cheeks began turning pink.

”…Haru.”

”Will you do it?”

\--

Well he didn’t think Rin would bite his head off over a simple question but then again, he seemed to be stressing over this so perhaps that was why. Haru listened intently as he rambled on, wishing to himself that he would just get to his point already. Maybe it was cute but it was also annoying.

When he finally did get to his favor, Haru stared at him for a moment. He was a bit floored that the idiot he had a crush on was asking him to pretend what he really wished was real deep down.

"Okay."

Haru couldn’t refuse a chance to help Rin shoo off someone he wasn’t interested in. And maybe he might be a little flattered that of everyone he knew…he asked Haru for this favor. But he was not going to ever voice such a thing aloud or even think of admitting it.

The question now was, what would pretending really involve? Obviously that would be left up to Rin to figure out or so Haru assumed anyway, after all this was his brilliant idea. Even if it was rather….silly in a way.

Rin’s behavior on its own was far too cute to resist. In fact maybe, Haru found his cheeks warm but only a little at his next thought….

"Does that mean…does that mean we have to kiss?"

He pretty much whispered it because just the thought was a bit too surreal at the moment. Only something he’d fantasied about from time to time. How soft would his lips feel and things of that nature.

\--

"Just…’okay’? You’re actually alright with this?"

Rin wasn’t exactly expecting Haru to freak out; he wasn’t even sure if it were possible for the other male to have such reactions so easily. But the way he replied so quickly and simply and nonchalantly managed to surprise the redhead. His favor was weird to say the least, along with embarrassing and even stupid the more Rin thought about it. And yet here Haru was, not making comments about any of it and just agreeing with no hesitation.

"Tch…well…thanks, I guess. I don’t know who I’d ask if you said no." He smiled a little when he said that, rubbing the back of his neck.

”I know it’s weird so I thought if it’s you it’ll be okay.”

Actually Haru was probably the person that would make Rin most embarrassed with pretending to date, but at the same time the overall calm attitude of the other was bound to help the situation a little.

Plus maybe there was a part of Rin that picked Haru purposely because of his feelings for him. Of course, Rin wouldn’t go and admit to that.

He was feeling pretty good about all of this when Haru suddenly brought up the mention of kissing. Even Haru sounded quiet and in disbelief about it, and all of the blood rushed to Rin’s face as though someone forced it to.

”Er— that’s…—” The embarrassment just grew worse when Rin realized he was stumbling over his words. The question managed to make Rin speechless for a few moments.

”I dunno!” He finally spurted out, now stubbornly looking away from the other male. “It’s just to fake it, but…w-whatever it takes, I guess.”

The last part Rin mumbled, the words practically speeding out from his lips. Hating the feeling of being so flustered, Rin tried to help himself a little. “It’s not gonna be for that long, so it shouldn’t be so bad. I’m sure once he sees I’m with someone he’ll get it.”

\--

"Is okay the wrong answer?" Was he supposed to say something else? Why did Rin have to question it when he agreed? Haru eyed him curiously and was soon admiring his smile. He seemed to be alright now, better than when he couldn’t spit the question out.

But his answer, Haru watched Rin closely, finding his actions to be rather cute but he knew better than to say it aloud. He wasn’t really expecting such a reaction to his question either.

"Alright. Kissing is fine since its just you." The way Haru said it made it sound as if Rin was not important at all when in fact it was the exact opposite. 

Once again he was agreeing without really questioning more into it. If it took kissing to fool this person, Haru didn’t mind and maybe he secretly wanted to kiss Rin anyway but that information would stay locked away for only him to be aware of.

Besides, this person made him feel a small amount of jealousy anyway. He just plain didn’t like the idea of anyone chasing after Rin. He didn’t like the idea of Rin and anyone else in a romantic sense at all what so ever. Haru liked him far too much for his own good.

And the idiot seemed to only get better with time too. He went from a cute annoying kid to a sexy irritating teenager. Haru found him sweet among many other things.

This pretending thing would probably come easy to Rin, Haru assumed because the redhead had always been on the clingy side. Haru let him get away with it but no one else. Yet to his luck, no one had ever called him out on that fact.

"So where do we start?"

\--

"I didn’t say that!" Rin half-snapped in return. He wasn’t really mad, just easily irritated as always and not wanting to explain himself with the fear of getting flustered. "I just didn’t think you’d say yes so fast. Heh, but I guess I’m glad you didn’t think it was weird…"

This conversation could have easily gone differently and left Rin as a blushing, humiliated mess, so he was pretty happy that Haru reacted the way he did, as surprised as Rin was.

He raised his eyebrow at Haru at his response to kissing. “…Whaddya mean ‘it’s just me’? Y’know, some people would make a pretty damn big deal about kissing me, Haruka.” He used Haru’s full name on purpose, hoping to irritate him.

Despite Rin’s response, however, yet again it was a relief that the other male was reacting in the way he did. It calmed Rin from any embarrassment he may have felt, and he was able to continue appearing calm and cool even if part of him was a little too excited that Haru was going along with all of this.

Pretending to date, possibly kissing…Rin liked it more than he would let on, and it was just easier if he didn’t have an opportunity to show that outwardly.

"We can start by going on a ‘date’ where he works." Rin grinned when he said this, as though he had just figured out the best plan in the world.

”He work at an amusement park. Never been there, but that’s romantic for a date, right? There’s no way he won’t believe it just seein’ us there.”

\--

Haru found Rin’s response rather amusing but he hid it behind his expressionless facade for now. “Maybe I don’t like the idea of someone bothering you.” In truth, Haru didn’t like it one bit because if anyone was going to date this idiot, he wanted it to be himself. His tone may’ve come off irritated when he replied but it was more at the other person and not Rin.

At his reaction to Haru’s casualness of the kissing comment, he had to chuckle softly at Rin’s outburst. “Idiot.” Haru remarked because he wouldn’t kiss anyone but Rin but this idiot of course had no clue of that. Haru didn’t bother enlightening him on that fact either. “I said I would do it, isn’t that good enough?”

It was odd thing to talk about when it was the person you liked but didn’t want to admit it. Haru found that there were parts of this he liked and parts that were a bit bothersome. He hoped the stupid plan would shoo the guy away from Rin but maybe not too quickly.

"Thats fine." The romantic part came as no surprise, he remembered plenty of that especially when Rin was smaller and seemed a bit more open to admit such things. "Its romantic to you…" Perhaps Haru wasn’t completely into the romance aspect of it but then again when it came to Rin he sometimes changed his ways. He might actually think it was just a tiny bit romantic but he wasn’t going to make that known as easily as Rin does.

"You probably won’t want to go on any scary rides…" Haru remarked, thinking Rin might be scared by them but if that was the case, he might cling to Haru which was the only appealing thing about it really.

Pretending to date Rin would come easy since he liked him already at least. “Are you going to point him out?” 

\--

"Hmph, well I guess that’s okay." Rin muttered, looking away. "You’re my friend so you’re not supposed to be okay with people botherin’ me." It was a good rationale, anyway. Thinking too into it would surely excite and fluster Rin way too much, and once he got into that state of mind, keeping up this pretend dating plan would be far too difficult.

He couldn’t help but glare a little when the dark-haired male didn’t agree right away that an amusement park was romantic. “It’s romantic to anyone, idiot!” He remarked, “Just maybe not to idiots who don’t know anything about romance.”

"And I’m not gonna be afraid of anything!" He piped up, glaring a little more. "Geez, Haru, shut up before I change my mind about this." He wasn’t really as angry as he was letting off, but Haru did know how to push the redhead’s buttons more than anyone. To this day Rin was never able to figure out if it was a good or bad thing.

”Of course I’ll point him out.” Rin promised, “This whole thing will be useless unless you know when’ta lay it on more.” He smirked, “Just wait until my cue and follow my lead.”

*

This entire plan seemed perfect and Rin’s intentions to remain cool and in control were really very good. However, once they arrived at the amusement park everything changed. The way everything was lit up, the obnoxious amount of couples on this particular night, the almost knowing smiles from older women…

It was really embarrassing.

Rin wasn’t doing anything different with Haru just yet, his hands shoved stubbornly in his pockets and hardly even talking to him. He didn’t want to lose his cool already, and decided they should probably save their show for when they were actually in front of the problematic guy anyway.

But unfortunately —or fortunately— for Rin, the guy in question was found quickly. For right near where they were standing, there he was maintaining a game to win goldfish. Rin froze at first but then slowly leaned into Haru.

”…See that guy over there? That’s him.”

\--

As he recalled earlier, Rin’s reactions to being teased, Haru smiled to himself still amused by it. He’d even threatened to end the pretend charade even though it was his own idea and because he was the one who wanted this guy off his back.

It had been so obvious by that alone that he was full of hot air. Haru knew he had to be pretty desperate to ask such a thing in the first place or so he was assuming anyway because it had taken Rin forever till he reached his point.

As they walked along, Haru for a little while questioned what he was really doing there and if there really was some ‘guy’ who was bugging Rin. He may as well not be here, that soon changed as Rin located his nemesis.

Haru couldn’t help glaring at the guy for a moment not even realizing he was doing so. It was like he was silently some child declaring ‘MINE!’ But it only lasted for a moment and the guy wasn’t looking their way when he did it.

Haru watched the guy close but didn’t want to seem obvious so it wasn’t for too long. Before he really did that though, he had quickly kissed Rin’s cheek when he was leaned in pointing the guy out. It was in front of the guy technically even if he had or had not been looking in the moment. Haru did it because he wanted to more than because of the guy anyway.

"Don’t worry, I’ll give you a real kiss when he looks over here." Haru said it bluntly as usual and it was like he was just going to be doing something as ordinary as washing his hand and not something intimate like a kiss.

\--

Haru’s glaring at the guy didn’t ring any bells for Rin. Actually, he thought nothing of it at all. Haru wasn’t the most friendly or sociable guy in the world, so it wasn’t too uncommon for him to give anyone a dirty look without him even seeming to realize it. Besides that, Rin had already told the other male about how this guy was a problem, so he guessed it made Haru caring if he felt immediate annoyance at seeing him.

Jealousy didn’t even seem like an option to Rin.

But that nonchalant attitude faded fast when Haru leaned in to kiss his cheek, Rin’s face reddening as his shoulders tensed up in surprise. “I-idiot!!!!” He half-yelled to try and fight the embarrassment on his face, “A-at least wait until he’s lookin’!”

Then Haru even acknowledged the fact that the guy wasn’t looking for that particular kiss, only making Rin’s embarrassment worse. He didn’t want to get to this point so quickly during his little game with Haru, but controlling himself was nearly impossible especially with how fast his heart was currently deciding to beat.

”S-stupid—” He mumbled, “Like I was worried…”

He took in a deep breath, a near desperate attempt to calm himself down without making it seem too obvious in front of Haruka. Haru was probably just taking this pretend business very seriously, Rin rationalized to himself. That was why he decided to kiss Rin’s cheek prematurely, it couldn’t be anything else.

He was the one who asked Haru to do this, anyway. There was no use freaking out every time Haru actually did something to go along with what Rin asked.

Very awkwardly one of the redhead’s hands slipped from his pocket, fingers linking around Haru’s. It didn’t help his embarrassment, but he made sure to keep his face averted from Haru as though it would help.

"….So… Let’s try to win a goldfish." He decided, giving Haru’s arm a tug that was probably a little more forceful than necessary, and leading him closer to the game and that problematic boy.

\--

Haru was impressed with Rin’s acting skills, he looked like the kiss actually meant something to him if you judge by how red his face seem to bloom. But it must have bothered him that the guy wasn’t looking when Haru did it because he was soon being called names.

Holding hands with Rin made Haru feel a little more serious in how he took the situation and it also seemed to make his hand tingle just a little. Maybe not so much when he was tugged toward the guy a little bit rough, Haru just stared at Rin for a moment and sped up his pace to walk more in line with Rin.

Haru was glaring again when they were close to the game, it was one of his favorite games and he had won goldfish before while playing it. He would have to ignore the guy if that was going to happen. He squeezed Rin’s hand a little before letting it go to play, the guy seemed to notice Rin right away from what Haru observed out of the corner of his eye. When he finished a turn, he made sure to place his hand gently on Rin’s back as the redhead had a turn.

Haru noticed the guy looking at them when he wasn’t tending to others at his booth, he wondered if now would be a better time to kiss Rin so he leaned in close and placed his lips right against Rin’s ear. Whispering so that the idiot could not hear him. “Should I kiss you now? I mean he is looking this time.” The hand at Rin’s back went up and down affectionately as he spoke.

Haru had no problem it seems with public displays of affection for Rin’s sake. It probably wasn’t romantic like Rin would want a kiss to be but Haru had no clue Rin would be interested in such a thing for real. For all he knew when it came to the redhead, he really did just want the guy off his back. Haru though, inwardly he liked the fact that he might end up kissing Rin on the lips.

The amusement park was fun and maybe when they were done with this little charade they could hang out and have fun as friends. Haru would like that but he would probably never admit that to Rin. There were many things he had kept to himself and not admitted to him though. The biggest one being how much he liked him since he was a kid. (Though at this point, he was probably in love.)

\--

Rin knew Haru liked this game from watching him at festivals before, so he was almost thankful that this was the game that guy was working at. Perhaps being fired up from the game would improve Haru’s acting skills and willingness to go along with the charade.

…Though with the way Haru kissed Rin’s cheek earlier without the guy so much even looking at them at that moment, the redhead decided perhaps Haru didn’t need the extra motivation after all.

They needed to kneel to play the game, and now directly in front of the guy, Rin was able to feel his eyes burning into him. He made sure to not make any eye contact with him, however, wanting to give the illusion that he was far too focused on his own “boyfriend” to notice anyone else around him.

It was a good method and Haru seemed to go along with it as well, rubbing Rin’s back when it was the redhead’s turn to play. The contact made him tense a little from the way it made him feel, but it was comforting, almost. He was actually enjoying it, even if he was repeatedly telling himself that this was all just an act.

He wasn’t so good at trying to catch a goldfish with Haru touching him this way, but he guessed that was the least of his concerns at the moment.

He took in a quick breath of air when he heard Haru whisper to him; with what Haru said in combination of feeling his breath against his skin, it made Rin shiver as red started to form across his face again. He hoped his blushing wasn’t too noticeable to Haru under the lights from the game, sneaking a glance towards the guy as subtly as he could before nodding at Haru.

”I-if he’s lookin’ then now’s the best time if any.” He whispered back to Haru, leaning in to him as he did so.

The blush on his face darkened, his mind nearly spinning at the thought of kissing Haru. But he tried his hardest to remain calm; not wanting to embarrass himself in front of Haru while also making this look as believable as possible to the guy they were near.

\--

Watching Rin’s face as he answered, Haru could not miss how he went red again but then again, it might be embarrassing to Rin to an extent and that was probably why. Well that was what Haru was telling himself anyway but regardless of that, he stared a moment before he did anything. The very idea of kissing Rin on the lips was making Haru’s heart jump into his throat and then it was almost all he could hear in the noisy amusement park.

Even if this was just for pretend, Haru had no intention of going in halfhearted, he planned to make it special and give it his all. Even if he was not much of a romantic, a little of it seemed to rub off on him because of Rin. So Haru took it very seriously as he slowly locked eyes with Rin before leaning in and pausing before he kissed him. Haru cupped Rin’s face and drug his thumb over Rin’s cheek as he was still looking at him intently.

As he closed the small gap to press his lip to Rin’s, Haru wrapped his arms around the redhead and pulled him close. He basically gave Rin a real kiss, not a peck and not just a press of lips. He tilted his head slightly, slipping his tongue into it as he went and really not caring that he was kissing Rin in a way that wasn’t necessary to just fool someone. He was kissing him in a way that showed how he really felt without actually saying it.

And he never dreamed it would feel as sweet as it did. Rin’s lips were soft and he smelled good and Haru almost wished it didn’t have to end at some point but he knew all too well in the back of his mind that that was just how it was.

Because sadly, this was just ‘pretend’, even if Haru was not pretending at all and never had an ounce of it being an act from the start. But at the same time, he didn’t know how Rin felt on the matter. For all Haru knew, Rin was just pretending. Haru therefore in a way, he treated this kiss like it might be a once in a lifetime thing because when would he ever get a chance to kiss this idiot again?

And that was why he had not yet ended it and that was why to some it might be awkwardly long in a way but really for Haru it wasn’t, because at the moment, Haru was in a small little world where he and Rin were the only two people in existence because nothing going on around him was noticed as his sole focus during this moment was just Rin.

\--

Nothing would have prepared Rin for how intimate Haru was willing to go during this act. The redhead figured just a couple of “dates”, hand holding and maybe a cheek kiss or two would be enough —but to imagine that Haru was actually okay with kissing Rin for the sake of pretending, and was even willing to initiate it…it was almost too much. Haru was never one to be easily embarrassed so Rin guessed he shouldn’t have been surprised there, but Rin just didn’t expect Haru to take this game so seriously.

He wasn’t sure if he was thankful for it or not. Yes, this would be a sure way to get the guy off his back because a kiss could not be mistaken or shrugged aside. At the same time it gave him an opportunity to kiss Haruka which he never thought would happen.

But it also was driving Rin insane; his face practically tingling with how hot it now was, heart pounding hard. He didn’t want to embarrass himself in front of Haru, but it was also so incredibly difficult to take this lightly. For Rin this may have been pretend on the outside, but on the inside there were very real feelings behind it all. It was scary to think of teasing those, and allowing himself to be vulnerable for even a moment was even scarier.

But Haru was there, holding Rin’s face and rubbing circles on his cheek. It was comforting, and gentle, soft and everything Rin could want. He was blushing, but somehow the touches actually managed to calm him as he stared back into Haru’s eyes, his own red hues glistening and growing filled with emotion.

And then they kissed, and it took everything inside of Rin to not tense or freak out. This needed to look real, and at the same time the most secretive part of Rin wanted to savor the moment and not ruin it just for that. He allowed his body to be pulled closer, one of his hands reaching to grab Haru’s arm. He was returning the kiss wholeheartedly, just as honest and real as Haru’s was.

The fact that Haru was this into the kiss sent his mind into a buzz of questioning thoughts. He knew he wasn’t lying in the way he was kissing Haru, so he couldn’t help but wonder if Haru’s kiss was coming from the same place…or if he was really just that damn good of an actor and kisser.

He was pressed to Haru’s body and enjoying his warmth, actually parting his lips for Haru without a protest as his tongue moved along the other male’s. He made no attempts to stop or pull away, lost in the moment and even in a daze as though Haru was the only thing that mattered now.

But, the need to breathe finally snapped Rin out of it. He slowly —and reluctantly pulled back, his breathing slightly heavier now and fighting the urge to kiss Haru a second time. His cheeks were still flushed as the realization of what just happened came to him, taking everything to not freak out or make it awkward over how into it he had just been. Haru had gotten into it as well, so while embarrassing at least they were the same.

Rin stared into Haru’s eyes, not saying anything for a few moments and being totally unsure of what he even could say right now.

\--

The kiss, the way Rin reacted, the whole thing was messing with Haru’s head because it just didn’t feel like it was pretend at all, even though that was exactly what it was supposed to be. He was softly panting when Rin pulled away, Haru couldn’t help a gentle sigh because he had not wanted it to end.

Rin’s face, had a glow to it somehow in Haru’s point of view. The way his face was flushed and the way he was staring at Haru. He could feel his heart pick up, that …that look felt as if there was more behind it than Haru could really know what might be up in Rin’s mind. He really wanted to know but it didn’t seem like the place to ask because they were not alone.

Haru stared back and didn’t speak for a moment, he brushed his fingers over Rin’s lips which seemed to look different somehow. It must be what people call the just been kissed look or something, he frankly found it cute but also found it….downright sexy.

Haru swallowed softly and without thinking about what was really going on, he leaned in and kissed Rin once more. He just couldn’t resist. He still had the feelings and the moment felt right even if it was some stupid game. He really had to wonder what was going on in both of their minds.

And he knew he would have the memory of their kisses stuck in his head for a long time to come, especially if this really was some off once in a lifetime chance. It still felt like that because he was so unaware of how Rin felt. Though, if he used the kiss to judge he might get a clue but he knew in the back of his mind they were ‘pretending’, so frankly he was growing confused about just how Rin might feel about him.

His feelings were positive, he knew he was in love with the redhead. He knew because of all the emotions only Rin seemed to bring out of him. He knew because of the way his heart would not calm down as he kissed Rin. He kissed him just as passionately even if not more so than the first time.

But it was not to last it seems as he heard the very jerk they were trying to fool clear his throat and say something about them finding a room.

Haru pulled away from Rin and for once, Haru himself had a faint blush as he realized just how many people were around. He looked at Rin and softly smiled. “I guess, I got a little carried away….” He didn’t mean in his acting like his words might sound, he was speaking of his own emotions. He had done the whole thing the way he had on purpose because he let his emotions do the driving in both kisses.

Haru took Rin’s hand to lead him away and he didn’t speak. He even if his kisses had been confident, he was a little nervous and wondered if anything had changed between them because of this. He was so confused on whether Rin really was pretending or if the kiss indeed held as much as it felt like it had held. Both kisses.

He walked in silence and away from the guy they were putting an act on for but he had no idea where he was headed or what he was doing. He was too busy thinking about how the kiss had felt and how it had made him feel things. So many things. Conflict in a sense….

Should he address what he wanted to or should he leave words unsaid and play it off like it was nothing when it was so far from noting it wasn’t even funny. Haru was a little bit of a mess.

\--

At the moment, everything about Rin’s expression and demeanor was an open book. The way a single kiss left him speechless, his dazed expression, his eyes that were filled with so much. Perhaps he would have tried to hide his true feelings if he was capable of coherent thoughts at the moment, but instead he was left to just look this way at Haru. Rin could barely process how amazing that kiss went and categorizing it as just a fake one was insanely difficult. Nothing about that kiss felt fake, and he still couldn’t pin-point if it was because of Haru’s skill, or something else entirely. Naturally, Rin knew he did the kiss well because of how much he wanted to kiss Haru that way, but he could not say for sure if that was the case for Haru as well.

Actually, Rin wouldn’t think Haru would feel that way by any means.

Haru’s fingers were now trailing over Rin’s lips, and the redhead had to physically force himself with all his might to not kiss the fingers after their contact. He wanted to glare, or protest, or at least ask Haru what he was doing, but he was still left speechless and his enjoyment to every bit of affection kept him from being able to do any of the things he normally would have.

And then Haru kissed him again, and this time Rin made the slightest of sounds against Haru’s lips. He was surprised; his mind racing to find a way to rationalize or justify this. A second kiss was unnecessary; unless maybe Haru didn’t think the man running the game saw them. But even then it felt like it was so soon, and Rin couldn’t figure out how Haru could get himself into this so well.

But the redhead was hopeless, and he kissed back just as into it as he had been the first time. He couldn’t resist, after all. With Haru’s lips against his own, there was nothing more Rin wanted to do then to return the affections. Especially when this felt so unreal and Rin wasn’t sure these odd moments could ever happen again.

Ironically, it was the male Rin and Haru were pulling the whole charade for that interrupted them, Rin immediately pulling away from Haru and tensing up. Now realization set in; the fact that he had just kissed in public was embarrassing enough, and the fact that it was Haru who he had done it with just making it so much worse. And Rin knew there were eyes on him to just overwhelm him further, completely lost of his usual cool composure as he quickly stood from the game, red-faced and unable to make eye contact with anyone.

Especially not with Haru.

”Uh, right. It’s fine.” Rin mumbled to Haru in reply, still unable to make eye contact with him as he did. In the back of his mind he reminded himself to continue to act natural to not ruin this whole pretending thing right in front of the guy, but for now he was too embarrassed to even think straight and focus on that. For now, he just wanted to get out of the area and away from all the eyes.

They did leave soon after, and it didn’t go unnoticed that Haru was holding Rin’s hand when they did. Not that it helped anything Rin was thinking or feeling at the moment, and he was actually afraid at this point that the red in his face was a permanent feature, never to go away.

The silence between the pair was awkward, and Rin felt being so flustered and avoiding of any eye contact was probably to blame. He didn’t know what to do or what to think, nor did he have any idea as to what was going through Haru’s mind about this.

So Rin decided the best course of action was to act normal. Or at least attempt acting normal. He couldn’t act like the kiss didn’t feel so real when it did, but he didn’t know how to begin going about talking about it. Trying to act cool about the whole situation was his best option.

”So…t-that went well, right?” Rin said, clearly still embarrassed even as he tried to sound as much as his regular self as possible. “Think he got it!”

\--

To Haru, Rin sounded like he was trying to keep his cool, he was trying so hard. To Haru, this kiss was so real, he could still feel it on his lips even though it was over. Haru wanted to look at Rin but he wanted to do it somewhere where they could be alone.

Haru finally pulled Rin behind a building, still not really sure where they were in the amusement park but at least they had privacy for a moment. But once he realized he was alone with Rin after that kiss, his heart felt like it was on alert more than it had ever been before.

His crush felt like it could end up being so much more than just a crush on his friend. It felt like he actually had a chance with Rin but it was so damn scary because of what it required risking. A friendship he cherished so much.

That was why Haru hesitated in speaking, that was why he just gazed at Rin in wonder. That was why he could not tear his eyes away from his flushed face. He looked so, so flustered by what had happened and then Haru remembered how tender the look on his face had been after the first kiss. How he had looked at Haru in a way that had made Haru unable to not kiss him again.

Haru wanted to kiss him a third time, away from everything just to see if it would be the same, because if it was…if it was then Rin was not pretending just the same as Haru was not pretending. Haru had never been. But Haru didn’t realize he couldn’t seem to go back to normal after such a kiss.

Not with the knowledge of feelings those kisses had seemed to hold. Haru keep looking at Rin, not sure what to say or how to address any of this. He wanted to so bad but he also was nervous and scared. He was excited at the same time. He had a new seed of hope that had been planted in his heart by that kiss. Or rather those kisses.

He was too scared to speak and it was somehow easier to just act, so he found himself reaching out and running his fingers over Rin’s cheek as he looked at him with adoration laced in his eyes.

His heart picked up as he thought of how soft Rin’s cheek was. He was nervous because really there was no reason to kiss Rin again except that he wanted to and except that he was dying to know if it would be the same.

But then again, that second kiss had been unneeded if that was the logic one was using. So Rin might already be alarmed just because of that. Haru couldn’t resist running his fingers over Rin’s lips just like he had done before and he couldn’t help wanting to kiss them.

The thoughts of it would not leave but he wondered if Rin would hate him if he did it again but he just remembered how Rin had kissed him back willingly but Rin was supposed to be acting at that moment but it had not felt that way, it just hadn’t.

So Haru stopped his inner debate and Haru moved in on Rin without addressing anything with words. He had to know if it would be the same. So once more, he gave the kiss his all, this this time he pulled Rin in and ran fingers up into his hair. This time they had a little privacy and he may have ended up gently pressing Rin into the wall of the building they had wandered behind. And he may have made a noise that gave away that he was not pretending but this time there was no reason to what so ever because the guy was far across the park. Rin and Haru were completely isolated from any eyes and Haru just hoped Rin didn’t push him away and he hoped Rin responded the way he had before but he had a small doubt but he at the same time had to go for it.

He just wasn’t the same Haru that had entered the park, he was a little different now that he knew just what it was like to kiss the person you have adored and loved for so long.

\--

Rin’s attempt to act as normal and cool as possible was failing, and only because Haru wasn’t going along with it like Rin had hoped. The redhead could not figure out why; as usual he didn’t know what Haru was thinking, and couldn’t imagine what would make Haru act so differently after their kisses. It had been weird from the moment they kissed the first time, Rin never expecting that Haru would do it twice. And it seemed that weirdness was pouring over in the way Haru was being so silent now.

The other male was staring at Rin, and it didn’t help to make Rin’s blush leave. He was already sure that it was never going to leave on its own, and this silence coupled with the staring just made it worse. He liked attention, but getting it from Haru was difficult to handle.

It was making him grow defensive, and he found himself glaring at Haruka because of it. He wasn’t really mad, but he felt the need to protect himself now. He didn’t take well to being vulnerable, and being this embarrassed wasn’t like Rin. The foreign was scary.

But Haru wasn’t reacting to Rin’s expression, and didn’t do anything to break the silence that Rin decided was Haru’s fault. It wasn’t as though he was doing anything to talk, either, however. But what could he say? He already made his attempt, and now he was just desperate for all of this awkwardness to be over.

And then Haru went and touched Rin’s face, causing the redhead to let out the slightest of gasps before staring directly into Haru’s eyes. He didn’t understand, they were alone. There was no need to pretend anymore, and no one would be around to see it anyway. Rin was confused and left more flustered as he just stared at his friend in hopes for some kind of explanation.

It wasn’t until Haru’s fingers trailed over Rin’s lips that the taller male decided he should try and demand for said explanation. Only it didn’t come out that way, his voice essentially not working aside from a pathetic, small ghost of what it usually was.

”H-Haru…? Whattaya doing…?”

There was no answer. No explanation, and Haru didn’t even stop. Instead, the dark-haired male got worse, suddenly leaning in to Rin and kissing him yet again.

”M-mm—!”

Rin’s face somehow managed to blush harder even though he didn’t think that would be possible, tensing against Haru’s body. His skin was tingling, heart beating fast and hard enough to make him dizzy. He was shocked, overwhelmed and embarrassed and now he couldn’t think of a single way to justify what Haru was doing to him.

His back was against the wall, Haru completely against him as the other male’s hands moved into his hair. Rin was still tense and even awkward for a few moments into this, but found that he was soon kissing his friend back. His hands even went as far to grab Haru’s arms, but didn’t pull him off. There was a difference in this kiss compared to the ones by the game, but it was mostly because now Rin was filled with confusion this time around. But it was still very much real for Rin, filled with feelings and even need.

But it didn’t last long. Despite the position and privacy and Rin not wanting to stop, he still suddenly turned his head from Haru to break it, gasping out. He didn’t push Haru off, or do anything to get away. He just stared at him, a mix of emotions on his face.

And then he started glaring again.

"H-Haru—…you…" His heart was beating so fast he could hardly talk. He couldn’t believe how overstimulated a kiss managed to make him. "The hell is that? W-what are you doing?" The more he spoke, the more his expression started to change, Rin beginning to actually look scared.

”Are you tryin’ to mess with me!? D-did you just like kissing?!” He trusted Haru, but at the moment he didn’t know what to think. The obvious answer to the kisses sounded so unlikely in Rin’s head, that he was trying to grab onto anything as being the reason for the kisses. “W-what was that!?”

\--

It was really no wonder to Haru why he had kissed Rin, the way he had stared back and the way he had looked so flustered seemed to give something away and yet Haru didn’t completely understand it yet.

Their staring had felt so intense, so filled with tension or that was felt by Haru anyway along with a longing he had trouble denying at all. All of this had added to why he had kissed Rin again. And when the redhead had responded, Haru didn’t catch any tenseness in his reaction perhaps because he wasn’t thinking rationally at all.

Why he was kissing Rin again and why Rin kissed back? Though this kiss was far shorter than the others which scared Haru somewhat. But then again leaving all these unanswered questions between them was bound to come to some kind of head. Which must be why a very scared and confused yet flustered Rin was staring back at Haru and rolling several questions off of his tongue aimed at Haru.

It was a form of a glare but it wasn’t threatening or at least Haru didn’t take it that way. He couldn’t read Rin really but he could feel a new sort of tension and he was scared in his own right just as much as Rin seemed to be scared at least a little from what Haru could tell.

It seemed neither of them made any moves for now to not be pressed together just the same. Haru wanted to respond right away but he opened his mouth and for a long moment, nothing came out. It was scary having to explain his actions.

But just the same, Rin deserved to know the reason why. The real reason, even if saying it aloud was frightening and would make it more real than just acting alone.

Haru’s hands rested on Rin, very gently cupping his face in such a way that was laced in just how precious Haru found Rin to be. Haru’s eyes softened and were no more half lidded like they had been previously. They filled with warmth before he spoke very softly in response to all Rin’s questions.

"I was never pretending in any of this." Which is why Haru had kissed Rin three times and why Haru had gave those kisses his all. He had been unable to hide the feelings he was usually so damn good at concealing in his heart. They had came forth like it was the most natural reaction in the world, which really is the case because of just how taken Haru is with the boy he has pressed into the wall.

"I would never mess with you. I do like kissing you. Only you. And by the way you kissed me back…I only hoped there was something mutual…Rin.” Did he have to spell it out? Would it go right over Rin’s head?

Haru bit his lip, he was growing just a little nervous by saying such things aloud. Things he was supposed to keep to himself. Not spring on Rin like this. He knew it would’ve been a lot more practical to go along with all this and not kiss Rin the way he had. But he had been unable to resist such a chance. Rin’s kisses had turned out to be so sweet and so intoxicating and the way he had looked after that first kiss would refused to leave Haru’s mind.

Haru stayed put, not making a move on Rin but also not moving away at all. Grateful for the privacy because of all the emotions that seemed to be stirring between them. For Haru, a giant mix of emotions. Excitement of possibilities but at the back of his mind was a fear that he had royally screwed up. A doubt that maybe he had read way too much into the way Rin kissed him back and perhaps had too much hope riding on what he really wanted from Rin. What he had secretly always wanted.

Rin was the most precious person to Haru and even if he had to settle for friendship. He simply wanted Rin in his life even if he was never going to be lucky enough to have what he really wanted.

Rin’s heart.

\--

The fact that Haru wasn’t answering Rin’s questions right away only made the redhead’s nervousness worse. He didn’t know what to think now, worried about what it would mean if Rin’s fears were true or if Haru didn’t know how to answer him. He hoped his fear wasn’t showing on his face but he knew it probably was, and with the way he needed to keep swallowing hard and try to ignore his racing heartbeat, he was sure it was obvious.

Then Haru’s hands slowly moved to cup the redhead’s face, and Rin wasn’t sure if he was supposed to hate or love the gesture. He liked affection, and something like this was enough to calm him down; but given the situation and everything Rin was thinking and feeling, he didn’t know how to process being touched by Haru at the moment.

But he didn’t pull away, still staring at Haru with an expression of half-anger and half-fear, and completely missing the warmth that shown on Haru’s face.

Haru finally spoke, and it made Rin’s eyes widen.

”You—”

Now it was Rin’s turn to be speechless, just staring at the dark-haired male in complete shock as he tried to process Haru’s words. This was real; and it wasn’t any of things Rin had been afraid of, but it was still so shocking for him that he didn’t know what to think. He couldn’t believe it, really, especially with what he had been hiding in his own heart and mind for all this time.

Rin’s expression softened for a moment and then his bottom lip quivered, needing to swallow down the lump of emotions that started forcing their way into Rin’s throat.

”You—…you idiot!”

”Why didn’t you say anythin’?! You’ve been thinking THAT and you thought it was okay just to keep it a secret!?” Rin’s voice was cracking; shaky and emotional as he was still trying to process all of this. “O-obviously I like you too!!! Stupid—!!! Why else would I…why else would I pick you to do somethin’ like this with!?”

\--

For Haru, time stood still and he waited to see how Rin would react, hoping for the best. His heart rate was so harsh in his chest as it was pounding away and he watched Rin closely.

He hoped he would not come to regret the way he had kissed Rin three times. The way he wanted to kiss him again if Rin let him get away with it. The ghost of Rin’s lips could still be felt against his own. The feelings behind it all felt far too real to be anything but—

His hand was still caressing Rin’s face, he felt a little confidence in the fact that Rin had not moved away. He felt on edge though until Rin spoke. He seemed to be really pissed as he spoke and yet he still didn’t move away.

Haru had been called an idiot but really, he knew he probably was one but Haru plain just didn’t care. He had went with his feelings the same way he went with the flow of water when he swims. True, he usually was able to hold that feelings at bay but not when he was getting physical with Rin. His facade might hide it well but when he kissed Rin that little wall came crashing down.

So when he heard Rin speak, Haru stared at first and his heart seemed to beat even harder until it was almost all he could hear besides their breathing and perhaps the soft breeze of wind.

As Rin’s words hit Haru’s ears, all of them being absorbed and understood. Haru’s moment of time was still seeming to just stand still. It was basically something he felt he may have just been waiting for all his life. Rin liking him back….

Haru’s eyes seemed to be in a little disbelief to his good fortune for a moment, as he searched Rin and was soon pinching himself gently to see if this was real or some wild dream.

Real confirmed.

Haru opened his mouth to speak but first, he smiled a very rare smile and the warmth came over his eyes again “I’m not the only idiot…I only agreed for the same reasons that you asked me, I like you. Plus I really don’t like the idea of anyone else touching you or dating you or anything like that…” Haru huffed slightly just thinking of it but then he focused on Rin again.

"So does this mean I can kiss you again?" Yeah, he was far from having enough of Rin’s sweet kisses. He didn’t really want to even wait for an answer but he did."Because I really want to do it again…."

\--

Rin was never the best at expressing his feelings, that much should have been obvious by now. So while he was displaying his emotional state as anger at the moment, he was really feeling everything but that. He was overwhelmed; practically on the verge of tears because of it. He couldn’t believe this was actually happening, that Haru was actually here and feeling these things that Rin had been experiencing for so, so long.

And maybe the redhead had been the stupid one initially; in hindsight, his whole plan to get some other guy off his back was pretty immature. It was a silly plan, and backed on feelings Rin was holding for Haru that he wanted to get out but was always too embarrassed or scared to say.

But maybe all that stupidity was worth it, Rin thought. Perhaps he would have done things differently if he would have known what Haru felt sooner, but since this brought the feelings out, he couldn’t say he was disappointed.

He wanted this so badly, after all. He just didn’t know it was possible.

"Shut it." Rin said, finally smiling a little. He still wasn’t quite over his emotions as evidence in the cracking of his voice, but he was doing well in holding back. "This plan sounded great ta me, and you were okay with it. It got you to finally kiss me, so I’m not too mad."

”That idiot never had a chance. With or without doin’ this with you.” Rin leaned in, their foreheads touching. It was a little embarrassing so Rin was grateful they were in a private place right now, but he admittedly was enjoying the closeness. “I liked you too much for him ta even be a thought.”

With Haru’s last sentence, the redhead’s smile grew. This was still almost too good to be real and Rin didn’t know how he could begin being cool about it, but he was happy. This was more than he could have ever asked for from their little game.

”If you want it so bad, then do it already!” Rin teased with a laugh, before he leaned in and kissed Haru himself instead.

\--

The fact that Rin didn’t seem to really be mad was reassuring to Haru, for a moment, he had been a little afraid of his actions. But Rin’s words hushed any fear that remained and confirmed what his reaction to Haru’s kisses had already proved anyway.

They were both idiots that had been pining away for each other for what felt like forever. Haru’s face blossomed into a soft smile with a blush so small under his eyes you could almost miss it. He felt warmth in his heart more so now as it felt like it spread through his entire body.

As their foreheads touched, Haru felt a kind of adoration in the way Rin was speaking and he had already knew the adorable idiot admired him because he had said so himself. But this was so much more than simple admiration, this was full blown love.

Haru wrapped his arms around Rin’s waist and leaned in as sweet lips met his own, Rin not even giving him a chance to respond to Rin’s words. This kiss was less passionate at the moment and held more of a sweetness than anything else. It seemed to be filled with all the affection the two held for each other. Or at least this was how Haru felt.

It was a kiss that was more free because there was no longer the question of what ifs or of whys. All the questions had been answered and now Haru felt free to love Rin the way he really wanted to love him.

As the kiss ended, Haru sighed content and so very happy. “The problem with kissing you whenever I want is that I always want to do it…” Haru softly laughed at how silly and probably cheesy that was but it was honestly how he felt. It was because it was all so new, so new that he felt he would never have enough of it.

One hand left Rin’s waist and came up to cup his face as Haru leaned in to kiss him again. Five and counting. Yes, for some reason, Haru was counting. He kissed Rin a little more passionately than ever before because they were alone and it felt for the moment that they might be the only two in existence.

\--

Rin couldn’t believe how happy he felt. He may have had sly, secretive reasons for wanting to go on this pretend date with Haru, but he never thought a few “fake” kisses and moments of affection would lead into a real relationship. There was no faking now; no pretend or games or worries about who was watching and if Haru and Rin would look convincing enough. The kiss was based just on feelings, and nothing else was on Rin’s mind except for the moment and Haru.

He didn’t have a care in the world while kissing Haru right now, too excited and engulfed by what he felt for the other male.

When the kiss broke, any hint of embarrassment or annoyance had completely left Rin’s entire person. He was smiling, his expression warm and open and genuine.

The comment made Rin laugh, nudging Haru’s arm. “Stupid,” He muttered, though he didn’t mean for the word to actually be an insult. “You’re lucky I probably won’t stop ya.”

The added “probably” was meant just to tease, as Rin knew he would most likely never refuse a kiss from his now boyfriend. Not when he wanted this for so many years, and when he always told himself it would never happen. Haru’s kisses were too well earned, Rin thought, and too much of something he always always wanted to just carelessly refused.

And then Haru’s hands went to Rin’s face as the raven-haired boy leaned in again. The kiss was readily received by Rin, and his arms wrapped around the other male’s neck. Their bodies were so close now, intimate and warm while hidden away from the bustle of the amusement park. It was strange, he was able to still hear the sounds of the rides and people with how crowded the park was, but they were still so private, and he felt so alone with Haru and focused on only him that there was no care for anything else at the amusement park.

It made sense. Haru was the only one who ever mattered to Rin, after all. He was the reason why no other person could have been a consideration, and why Haru was Rin’s first choice to date.

**Author's Note:**

> This is from an RP, I wrote Haru and my RP partner wrote Rin but she wishes to remain anonymous on this and asked that I not link to her.


End file.
